Organic Compounds vs. Inorganic Compounds: What's the Difference?

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Read the comparison below, or explore it visually. Create a visual lesson comparing organic compounds and inorganic compounds using available credits or plan allowance.

Organic compounds are carbon-based molecules that usually contain carbon–hydrogen bonds, while inorganic compounds are mostly substances without carbon–hydrogen bonds, such as salts, metal oxides and minerals. Carbon's ability to form four strong bonds and long chains with itself lets it build an enormous variety of organic molecules, from methane to DNA.

At a glance

	Organic Compounds	Inorganic Compounds
Key element	Carbon, nearly always bonded to hydrogen	Any element; carbon only in a few simple forms
Typical bonding	Mostly covalent	Often ionic, some covalent
Melting point	Usually low	Often high, especially for salts
Flammability	Many burn, giving CO₂ and water	Most do not burn
Examples	Methane, glucose, ethanol, proteins	Table salt, water, carbon dioxide, rust

Which should you use?

Organic Compounds

The term organic applies to carbon–hydrogen compounds such as LPG gases, petrol, sugar, plastics and the proteins and fats in food.

Inorganic Compounds

The term inorganic applies to compounds such as common salt, baking soda, limestone, sulfuric acid and the minerals in rocks and soil.

Frequently asked questions

Why is carbon dioxide inorganic if it contains carbon?

By convention, a few simple carbon compounds are classed as inorganic: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbonates such as limestone, and cyanides. They lack carbon–hydrogen bonds and behave like minerals and salts, so chemists group them with inorganic chemistry.

Do organic compounds only come from living things?

No. The name comes from an old belief that only living organisms could make them, but chemists have synthesised organic compounds in the laboratory since Friedrich Wöhler made urea in 1828. Plastics, medicines and dyes are now made industrially.

Does organic chemistry mean the same as organic food?

No. In chemistry, organic simply means carbon-based compounds with carbon–hydrogen bonds. Organic food is a farming label for crops grown under rules that restrict synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. All food, organic or not, is made mostly of organic compounds.